oh help! half marathon...!

clarkmcharry

so last week, on a bit of a whim, I decided to enter the ballot for the great north run (which, for those not in the UK, is the countries - according the the webpage, the planets - most iconic half marathon.

and i;ve just found out that I have a place!

now, don;t get me wrong, this is great news, i've wanted to do this for years and will be a great event to be a part of...

But I have never run anywhere near this sort of distance.... at the minute i can barely run to the end of the street! training will be for more or less square one (though now i have great motivation!!) so if anyone an offer me any advice or tips (enthusiastic encouragement!!) would be much appreciated!!

Thanks
Kel x x

kac7700

Congratulations! Make sure you find a good training plan, and take it seriously. If you can't run the whole thing, that's okay too. Most important, have fun and finish! When is it?

AggieCass09

You sound like me back in 2007, so I know from experience that you CAN do this! First, get fitted for good running shoes. Then, go to runnersworld.com and do their "Smart Coach" to make a training plan. Last, go out for a run! If you have questions along the way, just ask :-)

I'm running my 3rd half marathon in 9 days!!!

bdavenport62

How much time do you have until the marathon?

Schula03

You can do it, way to go!

sweetheart03622

I started training on Monday for my first half. At the moment, I can run about a mile, but that's it. I'm using the training programs on halhigdon.com. I'm starting with the 5K program (I added an extra two weeks to the beginning to give myself a solid base) and then moving on to the half marathon program. My half is on September 11. When is yours??

cehrenhaus

Go to runners world magazine and try to find their training schedules for the half marathon. They are really good and they work! They got me from running about 10 minutes to running and finishing a 5K in 5 weeks.

novatri

I think the Great North is Sept. 18, so just over 6 months away.

backinthenines

@bdavenport: It's not a marathon it's a half marathon.

The GNR is in September and you have LOADS of time to get to build the distance.

What does puzzle me though is that you've entered the ballot but you've done no training at all? So had you not got a place would you not be running?

The first thing are decent shoes. Go to a proper running shop and have your gait assessed and see what they recommend.

Then get a decent training plan. If you're completely green to running, google Hal Higdon and have a look at his beginners training plan. Do his 12 week plan in the 3 months leading up to the race and use the next 3 months to build some base.

At the beginning don't run on consecutive days and build distance by no more than 10% each week.

tamcrit

Congrats!! Sounds like an awesome event and will be an amazing experience!! I could only run for about 30 seconds non-stop a year ago, and just ran my first half marathon on 1/23, so I am proof that it can be done. Others have already offered suggestions for training plans, which are all good. I did it over a period of time and just built up my mileage gradually, a little more each week. I started with the "Couch to 5K" program (just google it), ran my first 5K last May, then continued to build, ran my first 10K last October, eventually building mileage up to 13 miles. I know a lot of people who train the Jeff Galloway way, which is to do run/walk intervals (you can google him too). I also found a local training club and that really helped, as they had weekly group long runs and weekly track/speed sessions. So you might want to explore and see if you have any local options also. It really does help to have others to train with, and holds you accountable if someone else is expecting you at a run. I am now totally hooked!! I am running a 10K this Saturday, another 10K in March, and my next half marathon is in April. You can do it!!

bexdc

As a marathoner and person who's studying to be an RRCA-certified running coach, my best advice is: Take it slowly. Don't run more than three days a week at first. Remember that it is normal to feel sore! You may get shin splints -- a common side effect for beginning runners. Also, be sure to stretch afterwards, and don't forget to do some strength training as well. Building up the muscles around your knees will help you complete the half-marathon safely and without pain.

clarkmcharry

That's right, it is September 18th,... so plenty of time really!

backinthenines - I see that would puzzle you! In reality I'd agreed to run a 10 k with my sister-in-law in the summer and had so was intending running somewhere - i just entered this on the off chance - now i've got to out run her!! So i did actually start training for a run a week or two ago but now its a whole different challenge to the one i was planning! Very excited though, and determined!

I've had a look at the training plans on the GNR web page, but thank you all for the one's you've pointed me to!

I think more than anything i just needed somewhere to vent my initial excitement/panic!

chrissyh

I used a training program from runners world smart coach. Worked well. Also heard great things about Hal Higdon programs.

I ran 3 days a week and strength trained 2 to get ready. Took 20 weeks of training but you can customize how long on the runnersworld smart coach.

bittermannm

I decided to do my first half marathon two weeks before the actual race and it just so happened that the event was the day before my birthday! I would by no means recommend what i am about to share but just so you know i placed 209 out of 460 people! I did not train for the event nearly as much as i should have, as i was a student at the time as well as a newly engaged bride to be! i had been running about 4 miles a day up to the very day of the race! I arrived to at the starting point and the weather was a chilly 29 degrees. My stomach was flipping i was so nervous and i felt so unprepared! But let me tell you it was without a doubt the most exhilirating experience of my life, and i was a serious gymnast and soccer player for 17 years! Lucky for you that you have time to train, but just remember if you happen to feel ill prepared that you can do whatever you put your mind to and when it comes down to it a half marathon is only a small fraction of your day! Enjoy your run and i can almost assure you that you will become addicted to it!

bdavenport62

@backinthenines-I saw that it was a half. I was using marathon as a general term. my bad.

bhmathews

Good advice from the others! Good shoes are priceless and a training plan like Hal Higdon will get you there. I am training for my first half as well, which is in early June. The distance scares the heck out of me, even though I am running 5 miles several times a week already.